TAI LUNG IS NOT ONE OF US
by Bloodlustful
Summary: Tai Lung manages to redeem himself and tries to rejoin the Jade Palace afterwards, but he's in for quite the painful surprise when he gets there. Song is spun off from "Not One Of Us" from The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride.


Hello, everyone! It's been a while since I did a Kung Fu Panda fanfic, so I decided to make one which on the one hand, is great, because Tai Lung manages to redeem himself, but on the other hand, is rather sad, because the aftermath of his redemption is much different than one would expect it to be, and in a heartbreaking way. Song is spun off from "Not One Of Us" from "The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride".

I do not own any of the characters. They all belong to Kung Fu Panda.

TAI LUNG IS NOT ONE OF US

Tai Lung had, in contrast to what was believed, survived the Wuxi Finger Hold and, amazingly enough, seen the wrong in the path he had chosen after keeping in hiding for a while. He went on a mission to redeem himself soon thereafter as a result, and through many deeds and events, was able to succeed in his redemption and atonage for all of his past wrongs. He even at one point managed to defeat a brainwashed by magical bandits Po, fighting different this time, and in the process curing him of his brainwashing with the beating and evening the score with them. He also was able to reconcile with the ghost of Oogway, find his scroll at last and instead of use it for power, put it in a special place Oogway's ghost instructed him to leave it in, which he obliged to.

Soon enough, news of his redemption was spread like wildfire, and all the villagers in Peace Valley were able to accept this, even the ones who were related to those who died during Tai Lung's previous rampage, and they even found it in them to commend him for righting his past wrongs. Amazingly, he showed up in one village soon enough, because he knew there was one last thing he had to do. Though, understandably, they were surprised to see him arrive.

"Tai Lung!" exclaimed one sheep. "Hello." Tai Lung said. "I came for a very important reason. I trust you have all found out about my redemption crusade and the success thereof?" "All too well." a pig told him. "And this applies to everyone, in this village or otherwise, by the way." "Ah, good to know. This includes those who live in the Jade Palace, though, right?" "It does," a cow responded, "but is this what you came for? Is it about Dragon Warrior Po, the Furious Five and their master, Shifu?"

"Most certainly." Tai Lung replied. "I came here because it's the village closest to the Jade Palace, and thus you would be the ones most likely to know whether or not all of them were in their signature palace right now." "Oh, they are!" a mountain cat told him. "As a matter of fact, Tai Lung, Master Po has also learned of how you defeated him and evened the score, yet undid his brainwashing with the style you used that differed from last time. So have Shifu and the Furious Five." "This and everything else about you, especially after Oogway's ghost informed them of everything they didn't already know." a crocodile added.

"Ah, splendid!" Tai Lung exclaimed. "Then they'll know all they must when I go to the Jade Palace and rejoin them after so long! What a novelty that will be!" "So this was about you becoming part of them and a student of Shifu's once more." the village chief, a mandarin duck, said to Tai Lung. "Yes, it was." Tai Lung replied. "I've righted my wrongs, and it's now time for me to rejoin my rightful place. Surely you didn't think I'd merely be a lone warrior after this, did you?" "Of course not." the chief replied. "Though, Tai Lung, I'd get going quick if I were you. I was told they were meaning to attend a meeting in just four hours, and that may be only just enough time for you to complete your return."

"Glad you told me." Tai Lung said. "This is all I needed to know. Farewell." He took off and then the chief noticed that a turtle was looking a bit uneasy. "What is the matter?" he asked. "I have a bad feeling about how it's going to go for Tai Lung…" the turtle said. Sadly, not only was the irony that Tai Lung was going to end up a lone warrior in the end, but the turtle was justified in having that bad feeling. Why? Because Tai Lung thought it would be as simple as meeting with them, telling them everything he had to and vice versa and rejoining them, and he greatly looked forward to it. Sadly, it would not be quite that simple. Here's how so.

As Tai Lung reached the Jade Palace, he said to himself: "Okay, they will know how I've fixed myself and therefore won't assume I'm here to attack them or anything of the sort. But I still had best try the one step at a time approach, even still…" Inside of the Jade Palace, Tigress was saying: "Guys, I just wanted to remind you that we'd best be good and prepared for that meeting by the time we need to go to it." "Relax, Tigress. It's four hours away!" Po said as he was about to get himself a peach to eat, but then he and the others heard a knock on the door.

"My, who could that be?" asked Shifu. "I do wonder myself, much like I'm betting the rest of us do." Crane said. "I'll get it." Monkey spoke, then he walked over and opened the door. No sooner did he do so than did everyone see who it was immediately. "TAI LUNG!" they all exclaimed in unison. "Hello." Tai Lung said. "Yes, it's me. And you're probably wondering why I'm here all of a sudden." "Yes, we are!" Tigress snarled. "Especially since you don't belong here, redemption or no redemption!" "Funny, you once said I don't belong here. Just a fact." Po said. "Yes, but that was a different time and a different matter for a different reason." Tigress replied.

"Why have you come back, Tai Lung?" asked Shifu. "Yes, you righted your wrongs, and yes, you saved Po from his brainwashing by those bandits…" "Which, by the way, I felt as much gratitude about as I did irony and alarm!" Po cut in. "Changed your style, huh?" "With you, anyway, panda." Tai Lung responded. "I learned a lot, including how to not make the same mistake again, since I saw the error of my ways. But the whole point of me coming here, to answer your question, Shifu. Like you said, I righted my wrongs and saved Po. And now that you know of this as much as everyone else does, especially with what Oogway's ghost told you, I wish to rejoin the Jade Palace as one of you once more! After all, I'm no longer evil, but a dark hero, as of now!"

"WHAT?" everyone but Shifu exclaimed in unison. "Rejoin, Tai Lung?" asked Shifu. "Rejoin us? Though I do commend you for redeeming yourself and doing so with much sincerity, and though I also, in spite of everything that once was during your time of insane villainy, wish I could allow this with all my heart, I am sorry to say that I cannot." "What?" Tai Lung exclaimed. "Yeah, you cleaned up your act and redeemed yourself and all," Tigress told him sharply, "but that makes your victims no less dead." "It doesn't change how much havoc and near destruction you caused, either." Monkey added. "Granted, it's better than if you were still doing what you once did or worse." "But that changes not what the result of what you once were was." Crane told him. "So even now, we're sorry, Tai Lung. It's totally cool you redeemed yourself, and I thank you for saving me…" "But we just can't allow you back here even now." Mantis added. "You're just…" Viper began, hesitated and finished: "…not one with the Jade Palace or Shifu anymore."

"I cannot believe this!" Tai Lung exclaimed. "Believe it or not, neither can I, or any of us, for that matter." Shifu told him. "Even I admit to this." Tigress added. "All the same, however," Shifu sighed morosely, "even with your new status and well done redemption, I have no choice but to forbid you from rejoining and deny you entrance. I'm sorry…" Tai Lung was cut to the core when he remembered the last time Shifu gave him an apology…he almost accepted it, but his furious, insane rage and hatred overtook him just before he did. Now he accepted it, but it still hurt just as bad, only in a different way.

"I won't make light of how far you've come and all you did to right your wrongs with lies, Tai Lung." Tigress told the snow leopard. "We would normally have you killed if we saw you show up here in front of us." "By me and the Furious Five alike, I might add." Po said. "But as an acknowledgement of your absolved status of new and redemption, as well as how you saved my ass back there after those bandits brainwashed me during your mission for said redemption, we are not going to have you killed, which I'm actually glad about." "Indeed not." Shifu told him. "You shall not be executed on account of all that was mentioned by the Dragon Warrior Po, as well as what we learned from Oogway."

He then walked forward in front of everyone and stated: "Instead, Tai Lung, instead of death or going to jail or anything of the sort, our acknowledgement of your redemption and the full sincerity in your heart about it will be that you will be allowed to go free as a dark hero warrior, but on your own, and not as part of this palace. I wish it were otherwise, and it pains me to say this, but…Tai Lung…YOU ARE EXILED FOREVER!" Tai Lung's yellow eyes opened extremely wide as he watched Shifu slam his stick down to the floor, making it as official as it was for real.

Afterwards, Tai Lung saw Shifu walk on over a few feet away, hang his head and put his stick on the ground to lean on, while Po and the Furious Five got into various positions and began to sing. Tai Lung realized he had no choice but to leave. However, the six who were about to do their song, however much they appreciated his redemption, even Tigress, were still not by any means going to make leaving easy or simple for him.

Crane started the song with: "Deception!" Monkey sang: "Disgrace!" Mantis sang: "Evil as plain as the spots on his face!" After the three Furious Five males went for Tai Lung, who barely managed to dodge their attacks, Po sang: "Deception!" Tigress and Viper sang together: "An outrage!" Crane sang: "Disgrace!" Tigress sang by herself: "For shame!"

Tai Lung dodged the punches of Tigress and tail whips of Viper, who he ran through. And Po sang: "He asked for trouble the moment he came!" Tigress then sang in unison with Viper: "Deception!" Monkey sang: "An outrage!" Crane, after snapping his beak at the fleeing Tai Lung, sang out: "Disgraaaaaace!" Po sang: "He can't change his stripes!" "For shame!" Viper sang on her own. "You know these outsider types!" Tigress sang out. Mantis sang: "Evil as plain as the spots on his face!" "See ya later, evil traitor!" Crane sang out. "Just leave us!" Monkey sang as he tried to kick Tai Lung, but Tai Lung leapt over that kick and towards the door. "An outrage!" Tigress and Viper sang together. "Disgrace!" Po sang. "For shame!" Viper sang out. Then, as Tai Lung ran out the door of the Jade Palace, Po sang out again: "He asked for trouble the moment he came!" Tigress and Viper sang in unison: "See ya later, agitator!"

Then, as Tai Lung was running a good distance away from the Jade Palace, the whole of everyone except for Shifu, who still stood still and hung his head while leaning on his cane, sang out: "BORN IN GRIEF! RAISED IN HATE! HELPLESS TO DEFY HIS FATE! LET HIM RUN! LET HIM LIVE! BUT DO NOT FORGET WHAT WE CANNOT FORGIVE!" Finally, Tai Lung found a high rock to land on and replaced his running with a leap onto that rock.

After Tai Lung landed and looked back at the Jade Palace in the distance, everyone singing was going with: "AND HE IS NOT ONE OF US! HE HAS NEVER BEEN ONE OF US! HE IS NOT PART OF US! NOT OUR KIND! HE TOOK OUR TRUST! LIED TO US! NOW WE'RE NOT SO BLIND! FOR WE NOW KNOW HE'LL DO WHAT HE'S DONE! AND WE KNOW HE'LL THUS NEVER BE ONE OF UUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSS!" Tigress sang out, louder than she'd sung all song long: "HE IS NOT ONE OF US!"

Tai Lung then looked for a bit more at his former home and walked slowly down the mountain he noticed the rock lead to. He was not going to revert back to being evil, mind you, for he was sincere in his redemption and knew evil was what made things this way in the first place for him. And he would indeed be a lone warrior and dark hero who would do as those who now occupied the Jade Palace would do for the downtrodden when they were in need. But he, despite his strong spirit and toughness, could not help but shed a tear out of each eye as he hung his head and mournfully yowled under his breath. He knew he was never to return to his master, and this was the closest thing to reconciliation he was going to get with him, the panda and the Furious Five he once beat on that bridge.

Ironically, he soon enough saw that same bridge and was cut even worse, walking across it but not looking at much even when he was on the other side. In the distance, he heard Crane sing out: "Deception!" Monkey also sang out in the distance: "Disgrace!" Po next sang in the distance: "Deception!" Mantis sang next in the far distance: "Disgrace!" And finally, he heard Po sing for the final line: "Deception!" Oogway looked down at the glum, sober Tai Lung looking for a place he could stop to rest before officially starting his new life the next day, after recovering from this sad, painful moment in his life, and sighed gloomily: "Oh, Tai Lung…"

THE END

So, how did you like it? Rate and review, please!


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